The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into the February trade deadline stuck in an uncomfortable middle ground, and that is exactly why they should resist the urge to force a superstar move right now.
On the surface, this looks like a team wasting time. The Lakers are good, not great. The Lakers are sixth in the West with a 29-19 record. They sit ninth in offensive rating, but all the way down at 25th in defensive rating. They rank 23rd in three-point attempts and makes per game.
The flaws are obvious. They need long, athletic defenders who can shoot. The classic premium three-and-D archetype. What they do not need is a rushed, desperate swing that strips them of flexibility.
That tension was summed up well by Jovan Buha on his podcast, who made it clear the Lakers are at a crossroads. In his view, this group is likely a first-round exit, maybe a second-round ceiling.
“This is a good team. This is clearly a good team. They are still on pace to win around 50 games. That said, there are a couple of blatant flaws here that I don’t see how this group can navigate without a trade, or frankly trades, plural.”
“I think as constructed, and with the way things are trending, the Lakers look like a team that’s probably going to lose in round one. I don’t see how they advance past round two with this current group. And that’s where I think they’re at a crossroads. Is good good enough for them, maybe this season?”
“And the plan is to approach it in the offseason and swing for Giannis or swing for another star that becomes available, swing for another high-level starter. Okay, but you better go get that player.”
“If you don’t make a move, or you make a small move and you don’t get that player or players, whatever, in the offseason, and you just run it back with this group, I think that is a complete failure in terms of the two trade cycles. And I think it would be a real mismanagement of the first like 18 months of Luka Doncic’s tenure as a Laker.”
However, Buha was equally clear that standing completely pat is not the answer either.
“To be clear, I’m not advocating for LA to stand pat. They’ve sat out 4 of the past 5 trade cycles — far too many. I think they should make a move, even if only a small deal. They should put the 1st on the table and be willing to take back money for a younger starter/rotation player.”
“I’m skeptical they can build a contending-level roster — undoubtedly needing to swap at least a couple of starters — in one offseason. I’m just stating that if they don’t make a move, or only make a small move, there is immense pressure to then land a big player or two with their picks, otherwise it’s a disastrous start to the Luka era from a roster-building perspective.”
The real danger comes if the Lakers rush into the wrong big move now and still fail to land a true difference maker later.
This is where timing matters.
The Lakers currently have one first-round pick they can trade. That severely limits their leverage. If they chase a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo at this deadline, the cost would be enormous. It would almost certainly require Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, the lone first-round pick, plus future swaps. Even then, the odds of Milwaukee saying yes are slim. The Lakers would gut their rotation and still likely come up short.
The same issue applies to other star-level targets. If they pursue Lauri Markkanen, Reaves becomes the starting point of the conversation. That is a non-starter for a front office that views him as part of the long-term core.
What makes patience logical is what comes next.
This summer, the Lakers project to have real flexibility. LeBron James’ $52.6 million contract is expected to come off the books, with both sides reportedly prepared to move on. That cap space is likely earmarked for a long-term Reaves extension, but even after that, the Lakers could still have roughly $40 to $55 million to work with.
More importantly, they will have three tradable first-round picks instead of one. That alone changes every conversation. Suddenly, they can credibly chase a star if one becomes available, or split that flexibility across multiple high-value role players.
That does not mean doing nothing now. Buha has been clear that a small or medium move is still necessary. The Lakers have over $40 million in expiring contracts between Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber, and Jaxson Hayes. If they can turn that into a younger rotation player or a true three-and-D wing, even one with money beyond this season, they should do it.
The key is not sacrificing the future for a long-shot present.
With Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves already in place, the Lakers do not need a panic move. They need smart sequencing. Add help where it is obvious, preserve flexibility where it matters, and position themselves to strike big when the market actually favors them. That balance, not impatience, is how the Luka era starts the right way.
